MasukOne week after the incident at the old kasil. Amelia felt her stomach ache a little. She was now three months pregnant, and although it wasn't big yet, it was already protruding.
"Amelia, you'd better rest a lot for a while because you look so tired," Elara said with concern. "Okay." Amelia closed the book she had gotten from the oracle's room. Amelia left the reading room, the woman walked to the room next to Anya's. Just as Amelia was about to open the door to her room, Anya came out of the room. Their gazes met. "Are you satisfied that you have taken Kaelen's attention?" "Sorry, didn't your husband tell you what really happened before, Anya." Amelia closed the door to her room again. "Remember well Amelia. Only my son will be the heir to this pack!" Anya said in a growled voice. Amelia took a deep breath, honestly feeling guilty for Anya. Because of her presence, the woman felt threatened. "Anya." Amelia looked at Anya's face which was so full of hatred. "I'm warning you, Amelia! The child in your womb will feel what I feel right now," Anya threatened and then quickly walked towards the stairs. Amelia just stared at Anya's back with a bitter look." I'm sorry Anya." Amelia would talk to Kaelen that this time she would return to her realm alone, honestly there was fear of threats from Anya. Amelia sat on the edge of the bed, feeling her heart beating fast. Anya's threats rang in her ears, making her feel trapped in a power play she never wanted. She rubbed her small belly, feeling the life growing inside as she whispered softly trying to calm herself." I will protect you." Outside, the sound of the wind rustled gently, as if trying to comfort a restless heart. Amelia knew that her situation was getting complicated. Kaelen, her husband, was a good man, but was caught in a conflict between two women who wanted a place in his heart. She didn't want to be the cause of division between them, but also couldn't ignore the fact that her child deserved to live and grow up without threat. After a moment's reflection, Amelia decided to find Kaelen. She needed to talk to her husband, explain her feelings, and ask for support. With steady steps, she left her room and made her way to the living room. There, she found Kaelen sitting on the sofa, looking tired but still handsome with a serious gaze. "Kaelen," Amelia called, her voice trembling. Kaelen turned his head, and his smile grew at the sight of her. However, the smile soon faded when he saw the worried expression on Amelia's face. "What's wrong, darling?" asked Kaelen, standing up and approaching. Amelia could feel the sincerity in his voice, but the image of Anya still haunted her mind. "I... I want to talk about Anya," Amelia said quietly, avoiding Kaelen's gaze. She found it hard to express her feelings, but knew it was important. Kaelen nodded, his face turning serious. "What do you want to say?" Amelia took a deep breath. "He threatened me, Kaelen. She said my son would feel what Anya felt. I don't want our child to be caught up in this conflict." Kaelen was silent for a moment, digesting Amelia's words. "Anya is in an emotional state. She felt threatened, and that made her act like that. But I won't let anyone hurt either of you." "What if she does?" Amelia asked, her voice shaking. "I don't want our child to grow up in fear." Kaelen approached, took Amelia's hand and grasped it tightly. "I promise to protect you. We will face this together. I won't let Anya control your lives." Amelia felt a little calm at Kaelen's promise, but fear still loomed in her heart. "But, Kaelen... what are we going to do if Anya keeps threatening?" "First of all, I need to talk to Anya and explain that our child has nothing to set her aside. She needs to understand that love cannot be forced," Kaelen replied firmly. Amelia nodded, although her heart was still in doubt. "Alright, we can try. But I feel so tired, Kaelen. I just want a quiet life for my son." Kaelen pulled Amelia into his arms, giving her a much-needed sense of security. "We'll get that peace, dear. Together." After a few moments in the embrace, Amelia felt a little better. However, Anya's threat was still looming. Amelia and Kaelen decided to talk to Anya. They knew that this was a risky move, but for the sake of love and family, they had to do it. Amelia looked at Kaelen, and in that gaze, she found hope. I don't know since when did her heart skip a beat when her husband's piercing eyes looked at her? Kaelen knew there was still something lingering in Amelia's heart, but he waited for her to tell him. The next morning Kaelen met Anya, honestly feeling guilty because since Amelia's arrival. He began to pay less attention to his partner. Anya had given birth to a child for him, Kenzo was a handsome figure. However, he had an arrogant attitude just like his mother, Anya. Kaelen slowly knocked on the room that was usually occupied by himself and Anya before Amelia's arrival. "Anya, can I come in?" Kaelen knocked again, but there was no answer. Slowly the big hand turned the door handle. Kaelen entered and at the same time Anya came out of the bathroom. "My king," greeted Anya smiling because her husband finally came first. Anya would not waste this rare opportunity. The woman immediately approached Kaelen and immediately jumped up to hug the figure she missed so much. Kaelen smiled slightly, this was what the man liked when he met his wife. "My king did you miss me?" Kaelen lifted Anya's body towards the bed and he sat with Anya on his lap. "I have something to ask you. It's about Amelia." Anya's body instantly stiffened, her heart beating fast. Slowly she got off her husband's lap, but Kaelen's hands quickly held her down.The black smoke did not move like ordinary fire. It crept, flowing low along the contours of the ground, as if searching for the quietest path.Elara felt its pulse was different, without emotion, without personal purpose. Hungry, but not like a living creature.“Not a clan, it's... a remnant,” Alex muttered.“A remnant of what?” Amelia asked, her voice strained.“An old war,” Alex replied. “A failed ritual. A bond that was forcibly severed.”Kaelen positioned himself in front of Amelia. “We are not fighting on neutral ground.”Elara nodded. “We don't need to.” She knelt, touching the white ground. “This land rejects domination. We only need to invite balance.”Smoke approached, forming shadowy edges. The air cooled. The stones of the circle vibrated softly, waiting.Elara closed her eyes, calling upon the meaning they had established. Not a spell, not the power of agreement. She spoke to the earth, to the wind, to the water flowing far below.“Choice.”Kaelen replied, her voice low a
“I have to go back to the clan.” Kaelen didn't turn around. “Not for war. To talk.”Alex tensed. “Anya will take advantage of that.”“I know, but if I disappear, the clan will be divided. I need to hold them back... and give Amelia time,” Kaelen replied.Amelia stared at Kaelen for a long time. No tears, only resolve. “How long?”“Two nights. Three at most.”Elara nodded. “I’ll strengthen the closing path. Scent, tracks, and emotional echoes will be locked away.” She looked at Kaelen. “But you must be honest with them.”Kaelen smiled faintly. “I will.”That night, Elara worked in silence. She planted knots of nature in the ground, not harsh spells, but small agreements with the wind, stones, and roots.The hollow became silent to the sense of magic. Even fear felt dull.Before dawn, Kaelen prepared to leave. He bowed before Amelia, touching his forehead to his wife's. “I will return.”Amelia gripped his cloak. “We will wait.”Kaelen left as the sky paled.Two nights passed. On the sec
The night wind swirled slowly through the valley, carrying the scent of damp earth and something older than the rain. The campfire flickered, as if holding its breath.Elara still stared at the three lines on the ground, their outline not fading but becoming clearer as the moonlight touched them.Alex knelt, touching the symbol with two fingers. “This is not a mark of ownership. It is a natural oath. You have been chosen to maintain balance, not to dominate.”Kaelen shifted position, standing between Amelia and the forest. His Alpha instincts stirred, but this time he did not command them; he listened. “Anya won't stop. If she copies the mark, she will summon something that cannot be controlled.”“I know. That's why we have to move first,” replied Elara.Amelia lifted her face. The light of the fire danced in her eyes. “Where to?”Alex stood, his shoulders stiffening. “To the Virel River. There is a balancing stone there. It can only be awakened by three specific roles. Guardian. Moth
Dawn arrived with a pale gray hue, like blank paper. Elara woke up before the others, not because she was restless, but because of the call. Not a voice. Not a touch. A direction.Elara stood up and walked a few steps away from the camp. Each step felt right, as if the ground remembered her footsteps first.Behind the rocks, the air changed. It was colder. Thicker.“Elara,” said a voice that wasn't quite there. “You shouldn't be able to find me.”Anya appeared like a shadow that had forgotten its shape, her face cracked by a faint light, her eyes sharp and colorless.“I'm not looking for you. I'm following,” Elara replied calmly.Anya laughed briefly. “Following what? A child who hasn't even been born yet?”Elara placed her palm on her chest. The small pulse answered once. Firmly. “Following the path.”Anya stepped closer. The ground beneath her turned black for a moment. "You think you've won? Being the Guardian means you've opened another door. Closeness, Dependence. I only need one
The child smiled slightly, a smile too mature for his face. “I am a messenger who is not bound by oath. And I bring a message... from the future.”Kaelen took half a step forward, his wolf instincts on high alert. “No messenger comes without ties. Whoever you are, tell me your name.”The child stared at Kaelen without flinching. “My name is Iren. I carry no weapons. I carry possibilities...”Alex narrowed his eyes. “Children of time are rare... and dangerous.”Elara felt a cold shiver run through her bones. There was something about this child that wasn't magic she recognized, but rather nothingness. Like the empty space between heartbeats.Iren stepped into the valley, the ground did not tremble and the wind did not react. It was as if the world... did not register his presence.“What is your message?” asked Amelia, her voice calm even though one hand was clutching her stomach.Iren turned, his dark eyes softening. "If you give birth when the sun is eclipsed, your child will live, bu
The envoys were invited into the valley. They walked slowly, as if the ground beneath their feet were an altar. Kaelen stood at the front, without a crown, without an Alpha robe, just himself.“What did you see in your dreams?” Kaelen asked directly, his voice flat but firm.The oldest envoy raised his face. His eyes were gray, filled with the shadows of the moon. “A pregnant woman stood under a leafless tree. From her womb, light touched the ground, and roots united the scattered clans.”Amelia shivered. Elara unconsciously took half a step forward.The second messenger, a young woman, continued, “And another woman... stood beside her. Her face was blurred, but her hands were bloody. She smiled, as if she had lost something precious for the sake of the dream.”Elara swallowed hard.Kaelen sighed slowly. “What are you here for?”“To swear an oath! Not to you as Alpha. But to the child who will be born. We will protect this valley. As witnesses. As shields,” they replied in unison.Ale
In the room Amelia had occupied since moving into her husband's palace, the air felt heavy, as if pressing down on her chest. The dark morning sky reflected her mood—gray, silent, and full of uncertainty. The pregnant woman stood near the window, her slender hands touching the cold glass, while her
Amelia quickly moved away from Kaelen, who was resting, certain that he was very tired at the moment.Amelia chose to sit not far from Elara and Uncle Alex, her hand constantly rubbing her stomach.“I don't want to leave,” Elara said spontaneously.Amelia was surprised and looked at Elara with an u
Alex didn't budge. Even though his shoulders felt like they were being crushed by Alpha's grip, he remained standing tall.Alex's old eyes stared straight into Kaelen's eyes. The gaze that used to be warm was now dark and stormy.“Let me go first. If you really are Alpha! You know... you don't need
Amelia froze. Her embrace loosened slowly as the words sank in sharply, coldly, and realistically.“You... forgot?” her voice was barely audible.Elara stared at her with empty yet gentle eyes, as if looking at a stranger who radiated a warmth she couldn't explain. "I'm sorry... my head feels so em







